JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE SPARED                                             

As time demands God empowers people who are  need of the hour to fulfill his plans and disperse his will on earth. They do their job in ultimate calmness and silence , they do not boast or crave for your attention. They are simple people who are saturated with Gods compassion, these people have expertise in working tirelessly and unceasingly for the fulfillment of a vision that God has instilled in them. They work as Gods hand on earth, giving us hope that God exists and he cares about us.

Have you ever met anyone like that? If not, I want to introduce such a twinkling soul who is a hand of God on earth. I don’t want to brag about the amazing work this person is doing, neither do I want to exalt her into any form of divinity than to appreciate her efforts to be a true human. I am simply trying to say that it is a blessing to meet and know such a person. That’s why I wanted to introduce her to all of you to share a blessing like her.

If you have heard about an NGO called SOLACE, you will know who I am talking about. Her name is SHEEBA AMEER (as her name suggests, she is indeed a ''PROMISE or OATH" people depends on). I met her only once, talked to her for 20 minutes and that’s all she needed to have an imprint on my thoughts and heart. 

Now let me tell you something about SOLACE, before getting into the purpose of  writting this blog. SOLACE is a charitable organisation that takes care of children with long term terminal illness by funding for the treatment as well as positively intervening in their family matters  comforting and supporting them by all means as needed. Especially a fort of comfort to mothers who finds it hard to meet the ends. Presently they are taking care of almost 3500 children. They have centres through out Kerala covering 10 districts and expanding. Incase you want to check upon what kind of cases they are dealing with , you can read real life experiences of families benefited by SOLACE here https://solaceglobal.org/category/case-studies/

To know more about SOLACE please visit their website www.solaceglobal.org

Again, it is all thanks to Elijah, and her soaps that paved a way to meet this Soulful person. Its an interesting story how I met her. I took Elijah for a Clay Art workshop, where I met Meera an example of unbound human spirit. She got fascinated by Elijah’s Soaps, eventually talking about it to her friend in New York. Now Tommachan her friend wanted to know more about Elijah and her Soaps called me out of sheer fascination. He was the one who asked me to talk to Sheeba Ameer about how we can promote Elijah’s Soaps.

Invariably I am grateful to all of them who led me into their office at Thrissur. It was an eye opener for me. Because I am a person who lives life in a motionless Yoga Position  meditating upon matters known as “MY and MINE”. Its all about Elijah, my family and my son now. And I thought I am doing a great job handling life without meddling into the affairs of other people.

Subsequently I reached SOLACE office at Thrissur, met Sheeba Ameer. We only talked about Elijah and her soaps. In five minutes, she called her team and said ''this mother needs help with promoting her child to sell her soaps, she is the mother of a special need’s child''. We discussed few more matters about soap and Elijah. I thanked her and got  out of her office. In between her phone kept ringing and she attended every call by herself. To few people she said, that she will return their calls, and to others she made a short conversation. What I am saying is she has time for all the people who ponders upon her with a hope of getting some sort of help.

Until now it was just a meeting to promote Elijah’s soaps. Because she never uttered a word about the social work or any other kind of humanitarian work she is doing.  I thought I have met a compassionate person with great Public Relation Skills who is busy but willing to help.

 

What changed my mind is a small talk with a volunteer who worked in her NGO. He asked did you notice that boy with a bandage on the head, he has undergone 11 surgeries on the head. His mother is unemployed and his father left them to tackle this hardship without help. It was his mother who took care of the child so far, we simply funded to meet their medical expenses. This boy must be 9 or 10 years old. When I saw him, he was moving around in the office very nimble. I had a chill in my heart, thinking that since birth, this boy had more surgeries than birthdays. His mother might not have slept one day in peace. (I know how it is not to have enough sleep after all I am mother of a Special need kid). Let alone the sleep, how about some rest. I wondered if she even remembers how to smile.

God, my meditation was shattered at that exact moment, when I realized that it could have been me. That boy could have been my child. My heart felt an unexplainable pain, guilt and burden. You believe me or not, I came out of that Office with a Panic attack. My heart was beating like a mad man on drum. I could feel my breathing, and it was out of rhythm… do you know why? I was reminded at that exact moment JUST BECAUSE I AM SPARED… I am living an easy life.

The same goes with you my friends… JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE SPARED. you are living an easy life.

Let me remind you of that day when your child was sick for a short period say a fever or a severe cold and you tended your child with the most nutritious food, spend sleepless nights worrying about your child’s sufferings…

 Just Imagine what anguish you would go through… to think that you might lose your child’s life, being not able to provide proper food or medication. To find a word for such kind of ache and torture is an almost impossibility

 At some point of life, friends. haven’t you felt the agony of rejection when your spouse refused your request, demand or desire to do something you thought was important to you, where you took your spouse for granted and you were rudely refused. Picture what that boy’s mother endured when she was left alone with a dying child in her hand… Can you even fathom and guage her helplessness and desperateness.? I cannot…

 I am sure, if I had be in her place, I would have thought at least few times about ending the suffering of my child and my misery by taking our lives…(not saying I would kill and suicide, only expressing that it was an end of hope)that’s how depressed and hopeless I could have been. How about You?

But they are still alive, taken care of and being helped to take steps enabling them to live in this harsh world. Mothers like hers are counselled, given support as they need. Fiscally assisted to continue their lives. By whom? By SOLACE, by Sheeba Ameer and her team. And, where was I? Where were you? When matters were taken cared for: on your behalf by these great people. We were meditating upon “MY and MINE'' … you know what? JUST BECAUSE WE ARE SPARED…. We are living an easy life….

Life is a walk on a thin rope… doesn’t matter how focused and trained we are…you could fall down any moment for reasons beyond our great skill and planning. I am scared at every step… but it is a relief to know that if at all I fall; with all my injuries, there might be someone ready to help me at times of a great need. Like Sheeba Ameer and her team, like SOLACE.

 Don’t you feel like supporting such people with Gods healing comfort. I want to. I know that I have no contacts and I will be an utter failure if I try to raise a fund for this cause or any other cause. So, I have planned something else. But for you those who care skilled, secured fiscally, or who can use your social skills to support this person and her endeavor please do. There are people around you who desperately need a ray of hope to live. People whose life will end shattered if they are left alone. While we are meditating upon our '' MY and MINE'' matters 

Today as you are lying on the bed to sleep, give a thought to the countless blessings and abundance you are granted with. Also think about those people who are taking all the troubles and agony which could have been yours. And be conscious of the fact that JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SPARED we have an easy life. Imperatively out of gratitude towards God who spared us from a life as scary as hell, let us move our legs. get up from the hypocrisy and pretense of meditating upon our lives… extend our hands...to hold and embrace these people in our lives... to make them a part of our lives as long as we can… if possible as long as we live

It is really pitiful that people like me needs constant reminder about the need to include these fellow beings in my life. I am such a shallow person… but I feel an urge to change a bit… If you feel it too: do something about it.

 I don’t know how I am going to do it. neither can I give you any suggestions. Just device something up you are artful like that… that’s how we survived   to meet our needs. Raise a fund in your groups, office, family gatherings… do some exhibition of your talents to give up the profit. Pinch out a little from your savings… thrift from luxury… I don’t know how. but I beg….do something.

So, you all must be wondering what is that I have planned to support SOLACE.

 

I have decided to teach my Child how to share her resources whether money or happiness, her livelihood or abundance, I have decided to teach my children how to be grateful JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE SPARED. from an agony that could have been theirs. I have decided to make some deliberate savings by myself as I do for my own kids; in place of those mothers who cannot do it.

 Now you device your method too… You know it better.

 

Elijah’s Autism is such a matter, that as long as God gives her wisdom and vigor to find self-dependence and a space of her own in this world, she will survive. And when time comes… I am sure God will send someone like SHEEBA AMEER to take care of innocent beings like her with Gods compassion to implement his plans for Elijah and individuals like her.

But for those who really cannot stand up without the help of another person’s hand...a strong hand from among us needs to be extended... if not at least borrowed.

I believe even a small gesture sometimes will make a lot of difference. Let us do something to make a difference, let us bring some changes into such lives. If not forever, let’s be a brief moment of breeze in their scorching lives. If one drop of tear was stopped from rolling down into their cheeks, be comforted that it could have been your tears ,that was stopped from falling down.

As of us, me and Elijah have decided to make a SOLACE SOAP COLLECTION, to support and root SHEEBA AMEER and her TEAM. Profit from Solace soap collection will go to Solace as long as people buy it.

You can buy your monthly supply of soaps from us and support SOLACE as well as Promote Elijah. But it really doesn’t matter if you don’t want to buy soaps, you can always help and support them directly.

For those who want to support SOLACE, below is the link to their website. www.solaceglobal.org   www.solacecharities.org

 

And for those who want to buy soaps from Elijah, our WhatsApp business number is 9745628331. 

Thank you for your patience,I am glad you read till here. Now move hands and legs and flare up your gorgeous brains and do something as well. I know all of you are soaked and focused in  “MY and MINE” meditation.

But, dear ones don’t you ever forget that, JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE SPARED you have an easy life.